CHAPTER IX

Our Means of Spiritual Growth

INTRODUCTION

In the chapters that proceed, we have established the fundamental principle that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. No amount of works, however good they may be, are able to bring us into an experience of salvation. Yet no person can be saved without being saved to serve. That is to say, we are saved from sin to a life of service.

This life of service requires the constant use of the means of growth appointed by God and revealed in the scriptures. We propose to consider these means of growth in this chapter. As we do so, let us keep in mind the fundamental proposition that while redemption is provided once for all in Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of believers, redemption is applied day by day to believers through the activity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit ordinarily works through the means of grace with which we shall be concerned.

A. OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW OF GOD

By the law of God is meant not only the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament reinterpreted by the New Testament law of love, but also the whole revealed will of God. The large place given to the Ten Commandments in the Catechisms of our church reflects both the importance of obedience to the law of God and the training of John Calvin as a lawyer before he became a great reformer.

The importance of obedience to the revealed will of God is well stated by James 2:18: “But some one will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” The way one lives reveals the quality of one’s faith. When the Apostle Paul received his heavenly vision, he responded in obedience. That obedience became the secret both of learning the Father’s will and of gaining power to do it.

A servant in the Far East was observed to anticipate the slightest wish of her mistress. When asked how she became so adept at her task, she replied: “I made up my mind to obey every wish of my mistress immediately. By doing this I learned to anticipate her wishes so that she seldom has to express them to me.”

Believers who obey as perfectly as they can come into a rich fellowship with God. They understand His will better and they gain power to do it. Thus they grow spiritually. Paul stated the principle well in his letter to the Philippians: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil 2:12, 13) Because he realized the relationship between believing and doing, Paul usually devoted the first part of his letters to doctrine and the latter part to an appeal to right conduct. Protestants who know that they are saved by faith and not by works also accept the words of Paul to the Ephesians: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10).

It is not too much to say that the believer can have only a stunted growth if he does not learn to obey the will of God. It has also been proved by the saints of the church that God works in us as we obey, not apart from our faith put to work.

B. CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

After the long night of ignorance which marked the Dark Ages, the Renaissance period in European history issued in a new zest for learning. However, this learning did not extend to the common people. Luther made an appeal to the common people through the German Bible and his various tracts. Because of the doctrine of the priesthood of believers, which made every man a priest before God without the aid of the intermediaries of the Roman church, Luther felt that believers should be educated. They should have the Bible in their own tongue and they should be instructed in the doctrines and principles of the Christian religion.

Even more so than Luther, John Calvin established in Geneva a school of religion without an equal on the continent. To this center came Protestant leaders from Europe and the British Isles. Among the more famous of his pupils was John Knox, who brought the Reformation to Scotland and hence in part to America. But Calvin set out also to instruct the people of Geneva who lacked the training which made John Knox the great preacher he became. Presbyterians have believed in education throughout their history, for they believe that every man should search the will of God for his life and that every man should be well informed concerning the principles of our holy religion.

For Presbyterians, Christian education is centered in the Bible and its teachings. Calvin’s sermons are expositions of the scriptures. His Institutes of the Christian Religion are an effort to systematize the theology taught in the scriptures. The Confession of Faith and the Catechisms make full use of the scriptures and provide footnotes which give scriptural references for every doctrine presented. These doctrines are either clearly set forth in scripture or may logically be deduced there from.

Presbyterians therefore believe, not only in Higher Education, but in the education of each child, each young person, each adult in the Christian faith. They believe that the church and the home are allies in the educational work of the church. In more recent years they have sought to adapt Christian truth to the understanding of children and youth at the various age levels. They propose to develop lay leaders who will be able to do a significant job of teaching. In many cases Presbyterians are taking the lead in developing new techniques and new materials to make education more effective at the local church level.

Presbyterians take seriously the injunction of Paul to Timothy: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (II Tim 2:15). They believe that spiritual growth comes through an understanding of the word of God and the will of God. The Holy Spirit uses the word in a remarkable way to convert sinners and to build them up in our most holy faith. Thus Christian education becomes a vital and essential means of spiritual growth.

C. PRAYER AND WORSHIP

From the time that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, prayer has been at the very heart of Christian worship and Christian growth. Prayer is one form of worship. It brings believers into fellowship and communion with God. Prayer is listening for the voice of God. Worship is ascribing glory to God. The Shorter Catechism defines prayer in this way: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” (Answer to Ques. 98.) The Larger Catechism adds one important phrase, “by the help of His Spirit” (Ans. 178). Such prayer as a part of the worship of God may be both private and public.

1. PRIVATE PRAYER AND WORSHIP

Presbyterians believe that private and family worship are very important. For this reason a devotional booklet entitled “These Days” has been in use with the Bible for daily devotionals. A great many other books and pamphlets are also available for use. Family altars are encouraged as a means of developing spiritual growth. The reading of the word of God, the learning and quoting of favorite verses and passages, the singing of psalms and hymns, and the habit of praying in family groups are encouraged. Christians are also encouraged to have their own private devotions. For worship is a very personal experience with God. Prayer is a very intimate way of keeping in tune with God and in fellowship with Him. The various forms of private and family worship are means of discovering the will of God, of being inspired by His presence, and of being strengthened by His power. No specific rules are laid down as to how long or how frequently one should engage in private or family worship. Daily worship which issues in a conscious walk with God through every hour of the day is believed to be essential for the greatest spiritual growth.

2. PUBLIC WORSHIP

Public Worship ordinarily consists of recognizing and sanctifying the Sabbath day as a special day of worship; of assembling as a congregation for divine worship; of the public reading of the holy scriptures; of the singing of psalms and hymns; of bringing an offering to God; of public [orig: pubic] prayer; and of the preaching of the word. At stated intervals it also consists of the administering of the two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

a. SANCTIFYING THE SABBATH DAY

Even though the pressure and the customs of modern life tend to make the Sabbath a holiday rather than a holy day, the Presbyterian Confession of Faith is explicit in its statements concerned the Sabbath. It says:

“As it is of the law of nature that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in scripture is called the Lord’s day, and is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath.” Ch. XXIII, Art. VII.

Let us make a few pertinent observations about this statement. First, while nature and human history teach the importance of setting apart one day in seven for the worship of God, He has expressly commanded in scripture the Sabbath to be kept holy unto Himself. The question is not, as some suppose, a question whether or not they choose to keep the Sabbath. It is rather a question of what God commands. Frenchmen tried to destroy the Sabbath during the French Revolution. They did not destroy the Sabbath. They rather sowed the seeds of decay which led to the degeneration and the decline of France as a leading nation in Europe and the world. Let history speak to men and women in the present. The more big meetings and big deals we have on the Sabbath, the more sure we are to lose our keen moral sense and our sense of destiny under God. We cannot break the Sabbath law of God. We may ignore it until it breaks us.

A second observation is that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is such a significant act of redemption that Christians observe the first day of the week rather than the seventh as the Sabbath. He began the new day and the new life for believers. The power of the resurrection may well be reclaimed by Presbyterians as they worship on the Lord ’s Day.

Our Confession also defines the way in which the Sabbath is to be kept in these words:

“This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations; but also are taken up the whole time in public and private exercises of his worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.” Ch. XXIII, Art. VIII.

The proper observance of the Sabbath requires preparation on Saturday. The excuse that one is too tired to worship after a wild party Saturday night reveals a complete lack of understanding of this requirement. Just as one orders his business and plans for a vacation trip, so he is to plan for the proper observance of the Sabbath. The proper observance of the Sabbath requires also a holy rest from regular labors. It is true that some persons are required by necessity to work on the Sabbath. This is true of ministers and others who find the Sabbath one of their hardest days. Yet even in their work they are drawn very close to God in worship, and this makes the day different from any other. Others who labor may likewise find a day off each week when they can be refreshed in body, mind and spirit.

Furthermore, the proper observance of the Sabbath, in addition to preparation and holy rest, requires public and private worship, together with works of necessity and mercy. The human soul requires feeding just as surely as does the human body. It requires regular inspiration, study and exercise for its highest spiritual growth. This is why regular periods of worship are essential, just as they were essential for our Lord while He was on earth. This is why the Presbyterian Standards set forth the teachings of scripture on the highly important subject of Sabbath observance. If we have slipped concerning the Sabbath, let us reexamine our motives, our attitudes and our habits to bring them more nearly into line with the teachings of our rule of faith and life.

b. WORSHIPING GOD IN HIS SANCTUARY

The first principle which governs the worship of God is that God must be worshiped according to His revealed will and not according to the devices of men. This means that He is not to be worshiped in any way not prescribed in Holy Scripture. (See the Confession of Faith, Chapter XXIII for these requirements.)

The second principle is that the Triune God alone is to be worshiped. Neither angels, nor saints, nor any other creatures are to be worshiped (or venerated). All worship is to come, not through human mediators, but through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of the Christian church.

Prayer with thanksgiving is required of all. Such prayer, offered in genuine humility through the help of the Holy Spirit, is to be made in and through Jesus Christ. It is to be offered fervently in faith, love, and perseverance. If it is vocal, it is to be offered in a known tongue. Our Confession states further:

“Prayer is to be made for things lawful, and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead.” (Chapter XXIII, Article IV.)

Prayer and the other forms of worship are not limited by time or place. God is to be worshiped in spirit and in truth at all times and everywhere that such worship may be forthcoming.

The scriptures have a large place in public worship. They are to be read with reverence and godly fear. They are to be heard “in obedience unto God with understanding, faith, and reverence.” The preaching is to be an exposition of the truth of the Bible and its application to the life of men. The pulpit in Presbyterianism is not to be regarded as a sounding board for the opinions of men, but a flaming altar for the proclamation of the Gospel of God. This Gospel is set forth in all its clarity and power in the word of God, and is applied by the Holy Spirit to believers through the preaching of that word.

From the time that the Hebrews brought their gifts to build the tabernacle, the scriptures set forth the privilege and the duty of giving as a means of worship and spiritual growth. Through the worship of giving men and women, boys and girls are made partners with God in the work of His Kingdom on the earth.

The “singing of psalms with grace in the heart” is another part of public worship. It is good to praise God with the heart and with the lips. The whole congregation is brought more closely into fellowship with God through the singing of psalms and hymns.

The proper administration and the worthy receiving of the sacraments is another part of worship. This is occasional rather than weekly, but it has its proper place in regular worship. More will be said about the sacraments a little later. It is sufficient to say that the public worship of God is necessary to one’s spiritual growth. One may worship in isolation, but usually one has a richer experience in the public worship of God. Presbyterians believe that both private and public worship supplement each other as means of spiritual growth. The Presbyterian Directory for Worship offers practical suggestions for making all of the parts of public worship more meaningful. (See the Directory for Worship, chapters I-VII.)

D. THE SACRAMENTS

Mention has been made of the proper observance of the sacraments as means of spiritual growth. By definition, “sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ and his benefits, and to confirm our interest in Him: as also to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to His word.” (Confession of Faith, Chapter XXIX, Article II. See this chapter as a whole.)

Presbyterians do not believe that sacraments in themselves or the elements used have any magic about them. The visible sign of water used in baptism is a symbol of the cleansing power of God’s Spirit. The bread and the wine used in the Lord’s Supper are likewise symbols representing the body and blood of Christ. The important thing is the spiritual relationship which exists between the believer and God. This relationship was pictured by Jesus as a vine-branch relationship. Spiritual feeding upon His life is [orig: is a] symbolized and encouraged in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. While the sacraments must be properly administered according to the teaching of the word of God, they are not ends in themselves, but means of bringing believers into a more vital and meaningful relationship with God through Christ.

1. WHY PRESBYTERIANS OBSERVE ONLY TWO SACRAMENTS

The reason why Presbyterians observe only two sacraments is that there were only two ordained by Christ. The other five observed by the Roman church were developed as a part of their tradition. Our Confession says:

“There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the gospel, that is to say, baptism and the supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any but by a minister of the word, lawfully ordained.” (Confession of Faith, Chapter XXIX, Article IV.)

2. THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

Baptism is administered to believers who are admitted to membership in the church and are to each believer “a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life.” (Chapter XXX, Article I.) It is also administered to the infants of one or both believing parents. In the case of infants, parents are required to renew their vows as Christians, and to covenant before God and the church that they will train their children in the Christian faith, pray with and for them, set before them a godly example, and encourage them in every way to become Christians when they reach the age of their own decision.

Presbyterians do not believe that immersion is necessary, but that pouring or sprinkling water upon the person is sufficient. They do not forbid immersion. The form is not considered the essential thing in baptism, but the inner and spiritual meaning. What is promised by parents of children and what is experienced by youth or adults in the cleansing power of God’s Spirit are considered essential to the spiritual growth of believers in baptism.

3. THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Ordinarily the Lord’s Supper is observed at least once a quarter. It may be observed as often as a Session sees fit to schedule it. The words of institution, a prayer of consecration, a meditation calling for sincere self-examination, reverent partaking of the elements by faith and the singing of a hymn characterize the observance of this sacrament. It is designed to renew the faith and the life of the participants and to send them forth strengthened for the duties and the privileges of Christian service. Presbyterians recognize that this is the Lord’s Table and invite all other evangelical Protestants to partake with them. In like manner they recognize the baptism of evangelical Protestant churches and do not require that all adults be re-baptized. [For a fuller interpretation of the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, see the author’s “How to Study I Corinthians,” pp. 82-91.]

These two sacraments have proved to be of great value in spiritual growth, and are held in high honor by members of the Presbyterian Church.

E. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

By saints Presbyterians mean sinners saved by grace who are becoming more and more like Christ. They do not mean persons who have been named saints by some official action of a church. Saints are bound together in two ways. They are bound to Christ the head of the church and they are bound to one another as members of the family of God. Their communion with Christ does not make them equal with Christ but makes them more like Christ. Their communion with one another does not take away the personality or property rights of any individual. We have already discussed in this chapter some of the ways in which believers may commune with Christ. Let us recognize also the communion of saints with one another. The Confession says:

“Saints by their profession are bound to maintain a holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Ch. XXVIII, Art. II.)

A Presbyterian congregation is not a social club which may be maintained and supported or disbanded and destroyed at will. It is a holy fellowship of believers. Such believers, because they are bound together in the family of God, are to worship and perform other spiritual services that build them up in the faith. As they are able, they are required to relieve one another in outward things. They are also expected to extend the right hand of fellowship to all who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus. There is no place for a divisive spirit in Presbyterianism. Presbyterians stand for something important in faith and conduct. Let them not compromise their high position. But let them also know that they are not to become Pharisaic and proud of their theology to a point where they become un-Christian in attitude or conduct. For while Presbyterians belong to a particular branch of the Christian church, they belong also to the church of Christ which far exceeds the bounds and the membership of their own denomination. This is not to argue for or against union with other bodies. It is to state the principle of the Confession that the Body of Christ is greater than our own particular denomination.

The means of growth in which Presbyterians believe have not all been treated in this chapter. No one of them has been treated adequately. Yet perhaps the readers have been stimulated to study the Confession, the Catechisms, and the Directory for Worship more carefully. If this has been done, it may yield rich fruits in the life of the church.